An expert in bioinformatics and computational biology, Dr. Hui Shen develops and applies cutting-edge genomics technologies and bioinformatic tools to investigate the regulatory mechanisms of gene transcription and cell differentiation — collectively known as epigenetics. Her multi-faceted research has led to improved understanding of molecular and cellular mechanisms driving various cancer types, particularly ovarian cancer.

Dr. Shen earned her B.Sc. in biology from Nanjing University and her Ph.D. in genetic, molecular and cellular biology from the University of Southern California (USC), where she was supported by a Provost Ph.D. Fellowship. She was part of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) team, a landmark multi-institutional effort to map the molecular basis of cancer. Dr. Shen joined Van Andel Institute in 2014 as an assistant professor, rising to associate professor in 2018 and full professor in 2023.

She is an F1000 Faculty Member in Cancer Epigenetics and has received numerous honors, including the Liz Tilberis Award from the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, an NIH/NCI ESI MERIT Award, and an AACR Team Science Award. In 2025, she was elected to the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) in recognition of her contributions to computational cancer epigenetics.